Sandpoint commission plans phased update to Arboriculture manual

At its Jan. 23 meeting the Sandpoint Urban Forestry Commission opened a structured review of the city’s Arboriculture manual and identified multiple areas that need updating, including approved and prohibited street tree lists and construction-protection guidance.

Eric Bush, the city forester, said the manual contains useful information but also includes dated recommendations. "There's a lot of good info in it. There's also some info that's dated," Bush said, noting the currently listed "approved street tree" species include entries that the city forester now considers less desirable or invasive in the local context.

Bush said the city maintains a more recent Urban Forestry Master Plan (adopted two years prior) with updated species recommendations; he described reviewing both documents on a case-by-case basis when approving private-right-of-way planting permits. Commission members raised species-diversity concerns, noting the town’s street canopy includes a large percentage of maples, some of which are Norway maples planted decades earlier. Bush said he will encourage alternatives but currently has limited authority to prohibit species that remain on the approved list.

Several commissioners recommended a chapter-by-chapter working strategy for the manual. They proposed splitting the review into manageable sections, assigning chapters informally to members with relevant expertise, and meeting monthly to advance specific chapters. The group also discussed creating supplemental lists for trees suitable under power lines and for larger planting areas without overhead utilities.

Members asked staff to identify contradictions in the manual (for example, species listed both as approved and prohibited in different sections) and to gather outside expertise. Bush confirmed a small grant line — he cited roughly $10,000 allocated for professional review of an ordinance update — could be used to hire a consultant to vet a revised code and help draft changes.

Next steps: The commission agreed to carry the manual review to next month’s meeting and to start with chapters 1–3 at that time. Members asked staff to circulate the manual, the most recent urban-forest master plan, and any suggested edits in advance. They also asked staff to check with the city clerk about file‑sharing options that would avoid violating meeting‑law quorum restrictions.

Ending: Commission members emphasized the need for a hybrid manual that is both accessible to residents and technically useful for arborists and staff. No formal code changes were adopted; the commission set a process to proceed chapter by chapter.